M.A. School Counseling

The M.A. in Counseling with School Counselor Certification prepares school counselors to work in P-12 schools. The program is approved by the New Jersey Department of Education and accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The curriculum provides core courses toward licensure. Additional course electives can be taken to meet licensure requirements. Program graduates will: 

• Provide developmentally responsive counseling and consultation for elementary, middle and high school students and families. 
• Integrate evidence-based counseling practices into comprehensive school counseling programs, including Brief Solution Focused Therapy, play therapy, career and college counseling, and developmental group counseling. 
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver prevention and intervention programs, including Intervention and Referral Services, character education, personal learning plans, teacher advisor programs, suicide response, peer mediation, emergency preparedness, crisis intervention, and disaster response. 
• Advocate for at-risk students to strengthen resilience and to overcome obstacles to education. 
• Consult with community agencies and resources to improve the academic, personal, social, and career development of all students. 
• Evaluate school counseling practices and programs using current research and technological methods.

For more information about school counselors, please visit the American School Counselor Association.   

Curriculum Requirements

Phase 1 Courses (24 credits): 

NOTE: Effective fall 2012, new students in the MA in Counseling Program will complete COUN 626 successfully within the first 9 credits of the program. Taking the course in the first semester is highly recommended. 

Phase 2 Courses (15 credits): 

Phase 3 Courses (9 Credits): 

*View our course catalog for detailed course descriptions.
** Prerequisites: Permission of the Clinical Coordinator, approval by the Clinical Committee, and 30 credits successfully completed before beginning Practicum, including COUN 605, COUN 608, COUN 625 and COUN 626.

Practicum and Internship may not be taken in the same semester, and each course must be successfully completed in sequential order. The Practicum application must be submitted to the Clinical Coordinator at least one semester before the student plans to begin Practicum. The Clinical Committee reviews the student’s readiness in the three core areas: Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions. Go to Forms and Documents to find the Practicum and Internship Manual. 

NOTE: To comply with minimum time requirements according to CACREP standards, beginning Summer 2014, Internships I and II will no longer be offered during the summer sessions. Internship I and II will only be offered during the Fall and Spring semesters. Please click here for more details.

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Elective Courses for Counselor Licensure

Additional electives can be taken to meet the 60-credit educational requirement for the Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) application. Students must develop a planned program with their advisor and fulfill requirements specified in the New Jersey statute and regulations found at http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/proc/. 

*View our course catalog for detailed course descriptions.